Trailer for vehicles



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C. S. DRANE TRAILER FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 15, 1924 ZSheets-Sheec l A TTORNE YS Aug.. m, w25. 1,548,987

C. S. DRANE TRAILER FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 15,' 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 WITNESSES 1N VENTOR @aD/MNE,

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A TTORNE YS Patented Aug. lll, i925.,

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CHARLES SISSON DRANE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

TRAILER ron VEHICLES.

Application iled January 15, 1924. SeriaLNo. 686,388.

To all 'whom t may concern i Be it known that l, CHARLES SIssoN lDnANE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trailers for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in trailers for vehicles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object yof the invention is to provide a trailer having facilities whereby it may be connected with the frame of a draft or leading vehicle i-n such manner'thatshocks and jars occasioned by the jerky movements of the leading vehicle in traversing uneven surfaces or because of the starting and stopof the leading vehicle, and dissipated ping wit out being transmitted to the frame of the trailer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trailer of the character described which is adapted to be connected with a draft or leading vehicle in such manner that the angular relation of the longitudinal axis of the trailer to the longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle may be varied within a relatively great range without interfering with the draft-produced movements of the vehicle or causing any additional stress on the leading vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trailer of the character described means for connecting the trailer to the frame of a dra-ft vehicle in such manner that the free end portion of the trailer may have 'a relatively great up and down movement without. causing strain of the elements which connect the trailer to the draft vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a trailer of the character -dee scribed means for connecting a truck of the trailer to the reach bar of the trailer so that the ltruck may oscillate vertically about the axis of the reach bar without tending to cause any torsional strain on the frame of the leading vehicle or of the parts connecting the trailer to the leading vehicle.

Other objects and advantages will be ap-V parent fr om the following description, considered 1n conjunction with the accom.-

panying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation showing a trailer embodying the invention connected at its front end with the frame of a draft vehicle, the lat-ter as well as the wheels and the spring suspension elements of the trailer being shown more or less diagram'- matically,

Figure 2 is a plan view showing certain of the elements of the connection between the ruiming gear of the trailer and the vehicle frame,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the trailer, and

Figure 4is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In carrying` out the invention, provide a reach bar l which Ipreferably consists of a lengthofI pipe having the forward end port-ion thereof offset vertically in respect to the remainder of the reach bar. The reachibar 1 is rigidly secured at its forward end, as at 2, to a front bolster 3, the connection of the reach bar with the bolster being intermediate of the length of the latter. The vertically offset forward end portion of the reach bar also is connected with and stayed to thebolster 3 by a pair of divergent stay bars 4 which are connected at their rearward ends to opposite sides of the forward end portion of the reach bar and then diverge apart, being attached at their forward ends to the bolster 8 respectively at points located approximately midway between the opposite ends of the bolster and thetransverse medial line of the bolster.

The rearward end portion `of the reach bar is journaled in bearings Iindicated respectively at 5, 6 and 7 (see Fig. 3), which bearings may be provided by securing straps to the undersides of the spaced transverse members 8, 9 and 10, respectively, of a truck frame, indicated generally 11. The bearings 5, 6 and 7 are aligned axially and the axes thereof lie substantially in the longitudinal median line of the truck frame. The truck frame also includes a pair of side members 12 with which the transverse members 8, 9 and 10 are connected. The side frame members are connected by suitable shackles, as at 13, in Figure 1, to the ends of semi-elliptical springs such as that shown more or less diagrammatically at 14 in Figure 1, the springs in turn being attached to an axle 15 on which ground wheels such as` that indicated at 16 are mounted. The truck frame 11 thus will be supported resiliently at its sides upon the axle 15 and is permitted to oscillate vertically above the axis ofthe rearward end portion ofthel rear bar. lt

thus will be. manifest that the ground wheels at opposite ends ofthe axle 15 may be dis-- posed at diderent levels as when one of the wheels drops into a depression inthe earth, without any torsional strain of the reach bar or of the parts with which'the reach bar is rigidly connected. The truck frame 11 may be -moved along the rearward end portion of the reach bar which slides in the bearings 5, 6 and 7 to 'vary `within a considerable range'the distance between a rest or sup'- port member 17 which is superimposed upon the intermediate transverse frame `member 9 and a similar rest or supporting member 18 which is superimposed upon the bolster 3.

'lhe rest member is secured to the intermediate transverse Lframe member 9 and 1s`also stayed by bars 19 to the end transverse memy bers of the truck frame. rlhe rest or supporting member 18 is rigidly secured to the bolster 3. lllhe truck 11 may be releasably held in adjusted position on the reach bar through the agency of a pair of stop collars l 20 and, 21, respectively, which slide on the reach bar between the vend transverse members 8 and 10 and which maybe secured respectively against the inner or confronting faces of the end transverse members 8 and 10 by pins or screws 22 extending through radial openingsin the collarsinto en ageby the truclrhframe' 1l ment with openings inthe reach bar, w eree will be releasably held against longitudinal vmovement talong the reach bar but is permitted to oscillate labout the airis ofi-the reach bar in the man-' ner hereinbefore described.' .gj

I'lffhe present. invention contemplates the provision of an proved means for" iconnecting the running gear of the f-trailer to the frame of a draft or leading vehicle; 'lnl this connection, the term l ruiming gear, vis construction comprised Suchconnecting means comprises a su stantially square open frame 23, formed of con- Y ne'cted together pairs of transverse members indicated at 27 A sills,the arrangement preferably being such 24 and-side members 25. This frame has a fifth wheel 26 secured thereonin centered relation thereto. 'lhe frame has one Vof the transverse members 24 suitably cut away as in Figure 4 to closely overlie he vtransverse member 28 at the rearward end of the side sills 29 of the frame of an automotive vehicle of vawelllznowntype of construction. ylhe side members 25 of the frame extend upon the corresponding side ksills 29 4and the second transverse-member 24 spans such'sills at anappreciable dis/- tance forwardly of the rearward ends of the that the frame 23is disposed directly above the xrear ground wheels 30 of the draft vehlcle. The transverse members 24 'are 'of the frame by a bolt 37.

'openings through which extends a: The forward transverse frame mem rellenar yframe 23 to the frame of the draft vehicle.

Hoolr bolts such as indicated at 32 in Fig- -ure 4 also may be employed to secure the frame I23 to the side sills of the frame of the draft vehicle. v

The forward transverse member 24 is braced to the side members 25 at the forward corners of the frame 23 by angle braces 32 which are connected to the frame bybolts 33 as shown. member 24 also is braced to the side members 25 by angular brace members 34 which have outwardly extending attaching portions 35 at the ends of the members thereof, one attaching portion 35 of each brace member 34 being secured to one of the side frame members 25 by a bolt 36, while the other attaching portion 35 of the brace member 34 is attached to the transverse member. 24l adjacent to one of the corners With this arrangement one of the members of each of the angle braces 34 willeXtend in parallel relation to thel side frame members 25 and the other member of each brace 34 will eX- tend in parallel relation to the transverse frame members 24. The last mentioned member of each of the braces 34 will be positioned inparallel relation to the correspondingmember of the angle brace such corresponding memb 32Y and ers of the angle braces 32 and 34 are provided with aligned rod 33. ber 24 also has openings 39 respectively aligned with (the openings feachrod 38 and engages with the'brace 34.

it draft bar 42 has the end portions 43 thereof offset in respect tothejntermediate portion thereof. The vend `-por1t1ons43 of the draft bar are provided with-openings slidably receiving tubular members 39 which are loosely mounted on the rods 38, whereby the draft bars will be supported adj acentto its ends for sliding guided movement longitudinally 'ofthe frame 23. Each tubular membery 39 is,y in'abutting relation at its opposite Lendswith the aforesaid corresponding members of angle braces 32`and 34 and it thus will be manifest that the frame 23 will `be securely braced when the nuts 40 and-41 at opposite ends of each rod 38 arel ti htened.` 'The' vexpansion springs 44 are coiled about the rods 38 and are under com- The rear transverse through members of the angle'braces 32 and, the rods 38' extend r through such v tion of the trailer and draft frames.

temeer pression, each expansion spring reactingat one end against one of the braces 34 and at its opposite end against the correspondingl brace member 32. The end portions 43 of the draw bar 42 are disposed between the corresponding convolutions of the expansion springs 44, and are so positioned along the tubular members 39a'that the socket 45 of a coupler head 46 carried by the intermediate portion of -`the draw bar normally is positioned at the center of the frame 23 and in line with the center of the fifth wheel 26.

rfhe bolster 3 rests upon the fifth wheel 26 andv is held against displacement from the latter by a king'pin 47 which includes a straight member 48 which is secured adjacent to'its upper end to the bolster 3 and depends from the latte-r through the socket 45 of the coupling head, being held against lateral displacement from the coupling head by a pair of pivoted latching members 49` which are carried by the coupling. Below the coupling head, the straight vertical member 48 is merged into a brace member 50 which is comprised inthe king pin and which isbent at its juncture with the member 48 to extend horizontally, at 51, and then obliquely upward at 52 and finally horizontally, at 53, to provide an attaching portion which is apertured to receive bolts 54 which thus attach the brace member 5() to the reach bar 1.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood` Any stress transmitted from the trailer through the king pin to the draft ba'r 42 will be distributed throughout the frame 23 because of the arrangement of the expansion springs, tubular members 39a, supporting rods therefor and braces 34, which connect the supporting rods 38 at their rearward ends with both the transverse and the longitudinal or side members of the frame 23. Moreover, shocks and jars transmitted either from the running gear of the trailer to the draft bar or from the frame of the draft vehicle to the frame 23 will be dissipated by the springs 44 and in consequence there will be no added stra-in either on the frame of the draft vehicle or the frame of the trailer because of the conneclft also will be apparent that the bracing of the vertical member 48 of the king pin to the reach bar will prevent breaking of the king pin because of any stresses to which the latter is likely to be subjected in the service for which it is intended. Moreover, the stresses which might tend to break the king pin in the means for connecting the trailer and a draft vehicle of ordinary construction together will be almost entirely eliminated when my improved trailer is used for the reason that the springs 44 will dissipate such stresses without transmitting them to the kingpin.

The vertical offsetting of the forward end portion of the reach bar permits positioning of the reach bar at various angular relations to the longitudinal axis ofthe draft vehicle without the reach bar coming into contact with the fra-me of the draft vehicle.

The mounting of the truck frame 11 upon the rearward portion of the reach bar in the manner described permits oscillation of such truck frame about the axis of the rearward portion of thereach bar without any torsional strain of the reach bar or of the connections thereof.

ln the form of the device which is exhibited in the drawings, the rest members 17 and 18 are adapted to support lengths of lumber or like articles. However, it will be obvious that bodies orsupporting members of various descriptions may be supported upon the frame 11 and the bolster 3 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

lf claim:

1. In a trailer, a reach pole movably supported adjacent to its rearwardvend, a bolster upon which the forward end portion of the reach pole is secured, a fifth wheel providing a bearing for said bolster, a frame adapted to be supported upon the frame of a draft vehicle and providing a supportfor said fifth wheel, a draft bar extending transversely of said fifth wheel supporting frame and' supported for bodily movement longitudinally of said fifth wheel supporting frame, a coupler head carried by said draft bar, spring means yieldingly holding said draft in such position in respect to said fifth wheel supporting frame that said coupler head normally will be positioned in vertical alignment with the center of said fifthl Wheel, and a king pin carried by said bolster 4and engaged with said coupler head to con` nect saidv bolster with said draft bar, said i'ie fifth wheel 7supporting frame comprising Y pairs of spaced apart connected together transverse and longitudinal members and said draft bar supporting means including braces respectively staying adjacent transverse and longitudinal members of the fifth wheel supporting frame to each other.

2. lin a trailer, a reach pole, a bolster upon which said reach pole is secured at the forward end of the latter, and a king pin having a straight portion depending'from said bolster and having a brace portion merged at its lower end into said straight portion and being secured at its other end to said reach pole rearwardly of the juncture of the latter with said bolster. ,v

3. In a vehicle, a fifth wheel supporting frame comprising connected together pairs of parallel frame members, angle braces at rea "liti of two adjacent Aframe inem-B bers, confronting angle braces leaving aligned' openings. tlierethrough,

lll

rods extending openings, a tubular member disposedon-'eacb rod between the confronting portions'of said correspondingI braces, the ends of said tabu-- lar member abutting said confronting portions of tbe braces, and nuts threadedly enp vgaging tbe opposite end portions of eac rod gaging the opposite endportions of each Vrod for holding said corresponding braces and said tubular member 'in clamped together relation. l d

4. lin a draft connection of a trailer, a frame adapted to be secured upon the frame of a draft vehicle, saidlirst named frame comprising connected together pairs of pan allel frame members, angle braces at eacli vthrough`l aligned r through,

d openings,

rod and between tbe confronting portions of waneer juncture ofjtrvo adjacent frame members,

confronting portions ofcorresponding angle braces having 'aligned openings thererods extending through aligned a tubular member disposed on each said corresponding braces, kthe ends of said tubular member abutting saidconfronting portions, of the braces, nuts threadedl en- .for holding said 'corresponding braces and said tubular member in clamped together relation, a draft bar slidablyA su ported adjacent to its ends on paralleltuular members, and spring means yieldingly resisting sliding movement of said draft bar along said tubular'members.

` CHARLES SlSSN DRANE. 

